Switch-operating mechanism.



SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY31, 1911. 1 ,042,8 1 2. Patented Oct. 29, 1912.

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N. B. MITCHELL & J. TAGGART, SR.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0,.WASH1NOTON. D. c.

N. B. MITCHELL & J. W. TAGGART, SR- SWITGH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1911. 1 ,042 ,8 1 2. Patented Oct. 29, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIQE.

NELSON B. MITCHELL AND JOHN W. TAGGART, SR., OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA,ASSIGNORS OF ONE-FOURTH T ULRICH G. BEDELMANN, OF INDIANAPOLIS,

INDIANA.

SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 31, 1911.

Patented Oct. 29,1912.

Serial No. 630,302.

1' 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, NELsoN B. MITCHELL and JOHN TV. TAGGART, Sr.,citizens of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the countyof Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and usefulSwitch-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters andfigures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to railway switches and more particularly to thetype of switch in which a single switch point is employed, such as arecommonly used in connection with street-railway tracks, the inventionhaving reference particularly to mechanism for changing the switches onthe approach of cars to the switches without necessitating he stoppingof the cars in case the switches require to be changed or reset.

The object of the invention is to provide improved switch operatingmechanism that will be so constructed as to be adapted to be arranged onthe ground at the outer side of the track where the mechanism will notbeliable to be obstructive to wagons and the like vehicles traveling 011streets, and which therefore will not be interfered with by the vehiclesor draft-animals, a further objectbeing to provide switch operatingmechanism of simple and relatively inexpensive construction, and whichwill be reliable in all seasons of the year and durable and economicalin use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide improved mechanismfor the cars whereby to operate the mechanism on the ground at theswitches.

71th the above mentioned and minor objects in view, the inventioncomprises a plu- Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of asection of railway having a switch connected therewith to which theimproved operating mechanism is applied, a fragment of a car beingillustrated that is provided with improved devices for controlling andoperating the mechanism on the ground; Fig. 2, a side elevation of Fig.1; Fig. 3, a fragmentary section on the plane of the line A A in Fig. 1;Fig. 4c, a section on the line B B in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a section on theline C C in Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a section on the line D D in Fig. Fig. 7, afragmentary section on the line E E in Fig. 5; Fig. 8, a section on theline F F in Fig. 5; Fig. 9, a fragmentary section on the line G G inFig. 1; Fig. 10, a fragmentary section of one of the track rails and aguide attached thereto; Fig. 11, a sectional view of a compressed aircylinder and device carried by the car for actuating the mechanism onthe ground; Fig. 12, a section partly broken away on the line H H inFig. 11; Fig. 13, a perspective view of one of the actuating devices;Fig. 1a, a section on the line I I in Fig. 11; Fig. 15, a top plan ofthe valve-seat for controlling admission of compressed air to thecylinder; Fig. 16, an inverted plan of the air controlling valve; Fig.17, a vertical section of the complete valve and its seat and casing;Fig. 18, a section on the line J J in Fig. 17 Fig. 19, an enlargedfragmentary section on the line K K in Fig. 11; and Fig. 20, afragmentary section similar to Fig. 17 but with the air controllingvalve set in a different position.

Throughout the different figures of the drawings like elements orfeatures of construction are indicated by similar reference characters.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates one track rail and 2 a sidingrail leading therefrom, 3 the opposite track rail and a the siding railleading therefrom and connected continuously therewith by a lead rail 4,against which is normally arranged a switch point 5 which is connectedat one end to a pivot 6 so as to form a continuation of the rail 3 withthe main track rail 3 when the switch is set for the maintrack, theswitch point 5, as will be understood, being moved away from the leadrail 4- when the switch is set to lead a car onto the siding rails. Therails are supported upon crossties '7 or otherwise as may be preferred,the

spaces between the cross-ties usually being filled with concrete 8 andpaving bricks 9 when the railway is in city streets, the surface of thepaving being on the plane of the top of the rails.

The invention preferably comprises three boxes, and therefore threesuitable brackets 10, 10, 10, are orovided which are secured rigidly tothe outer side of the rail with which a switch point is connected, therebeing one bracket for each box, the boxes being adapted to exclude snow,water and debris, and protect the mechanism mounted therein ashereinafter described. The boxes comprise bottoms 11, 11., 11, secured,respectively, upon the three brackets, the bottoms preferably being ofthe same length as the brackets and they have side walls 12, 12, 12,thereon upon which are close fitting covers 13, 13, 13", adapted to beremoved if necessary to gain access to the mechanism in the boxeswithout disturbing the surrounding paving structure. The portions of theside walls of the boxes adjacent the rail are each provided on the innerside thereof with a packing box 1-1 and gland 15, and each bottom isprovided with a bearing box 16 arranged oppositely to the packing box.The bearing box that is on the bottom 11 supports the inner end of aswitch rod 17 which extends through the packing box with which the sidewall 12 is provided, the switch rod extending also through a guide way18 that is cut in the lead rail 4 partially below the plane of theswitch point 5, the upper side of the switch rod having a suitablerecess 19 therein which receives the under side of the switch point, sothat the switch point may be shifted on longitudinal movement of theswitch rod. A push bar 17 is movably mounted in the bearing box 16 thatis on the bottom 11 and it extends through the packing box and the wall12 toward the adjacent rail. Another push bar 17" is arranged in thebearing box 16 that on the bottom 11 and it extends movably through theadjacent packing box and the wall 12 toward the adjacent rail. It isdesigned, will. hereinafter appear, that either one of the push barsshall be projected toward the rail when the other push bar is retracted,the switch rod being retracted, as will be seen, when the switch pointis normally set for the main track. The switch rod 17 has a collar 20adjustably secured thereto and similar collars 20 and 20 are secured tothe push bars 17 and 1.7", respectively, each collar having a jaw 21thereon extending horizontally and provided with a vertical pivot 22.Each box bottom is pro *ided with a vertical pivotal post 23, on each ofwhich a bell-crank is pivotally supported in horizontal position, thebell-cranks having arms 24:, 24:, 2%, and arms 25, 25, 25",respectively, each arm having a slot 26 therein. The arms 2st, 2 1", and21- each extend into a jaw 21 and the slot in the arm receives the pivotwhereby the arm may actuate or be actuated by the push bar, one armactuating the switch rod. Preferably the pivotal posts have each acollar 27 thereon affording ample bearing for the bell-crank, or thepost may be otherwise provided with a bearing-shoulder for thebellcrank. The upper end of the post has a relatively smallscrew-threaded end portion extending beyond a shoulder on which rests awasher placed upon the bellcrank, the washer being secured to theshoulder by a nut 29 screwed onto the end portion of the post, so thatthe bellcrank is substantially guided pivotally. A tube 30 is connectedto the side-walls 12 and 12 and similar tube 30 is connected to theopposite portion of the wall 12 and also to the wall 12", so that thethree boxes are connected together by means of easing tubes. The fartherside of the walls 12 and 12 opposite the ends of the tubes are aperturedso that. the boxes may be used interchangeably and have the tubesconnected to either one of the two opposite sides thereof, the apertureswhen not connected with the tubes being closed each by a plug 31. Eachbox is provided on the inner side thereof with two guide boxes 32 and 32arranged adjacent the walls 12, 12, 12, respectively, at the fartherside of the boxes from the packing box, all the guide boxes being inalinement with the casing tubes, and a single connecting rod 33 extendsmovably through the tubes 30 and. 30 and is supported to movelongitudinally in the guide boxes. The connecting rod is provided withrigidly connected jaws 34, 34-, 341-, suit-ably arranged in the threemechanism boxes, respectively, and each jaw is provided with a pivot pinthe pivot pins extending through the slot 26 in the arms 25, 25, 25",respectively, of the bell-cranks, so that when the rod moveslongitudinally the switch rod and the push bars move in unison. Ahorizontal guide 36 is secured to the outer side of the rail 3 andextends from the bracket 10 toward the bracket 10 and has an upwardlyextending inclined portion 36, the guide having an upright flange 37thereon extending opposite the rail in the plane of the inner side ofthe wall 12, the top of the guide 36 being in the plane of the top ofthe bracket 10 which serves as a portion of the guide 36. A similarguide 38 extends from the bracket 10 to the bracket 10 and has a flange39 thereon extending from the wall 12 to the wall 12. Another guide 36having an inclined end portion 33 and.

provided with a flange 37 extends from the bracket 10 so as toconstitute a continuation thereof. The horizontal guides, will be seen,are somewhat below the plane of the top of the rail, the flanges of theguides extending up to said plane, and the top of the several boxesbeing in the plane of the top of the rail, the several guides and thebrackets and the inner sides of the walls of the boxes constituting withthe rail 3 a narrow channel into which the push bars 17 and 17 may beprojected to be actuated by a device carried by the car and to belowered to operative position.

The numeral 10 indicates a railway car, 41 the platform or vestibulethereof and 12 the truck frame of the car. Two cylinders 43 and 43 aresecured to opposite portions of the truck frame so as to beapproximately above the two track rails and forward of the leadingwheels of the car, the diameter of the lower portion of the bore of eachcylinder preferably being somewhat less than the upper portion so thatan upwardly facing stop shoulder 44 is formed in the cylinder. The upperend of each cylinder has an annular head 45 thereon into which one endof a cylindrical casing 46 is secured and provided on the opposite endthereof with a cap 47. A piston L8 is fitted in the larger portion ofthe bore of the cylinder and preferably is prevented from rotating bymeans of a spline 19 inserted in the inner side of the cylinder wall andprojecting therefrom into a suitable recess in the periphery of thepiston, the piston being provided with a packing ring 50 which is splitto receive the spline. The lower end of the cylinder is provided with anannular head 51 through which extends a piston rod 52 or 52, the twopiston rods being each provided with a rearwardly extending wedge 53 or53, the wedges being somewhat similar but designed to a right-hand andlefthand, each wedge having a vertical face adapted to slide against theouter side of the rail head for guidance when in operation, said sidehaving a lower beveled edge 54: adapted to engage the upper edge of therail to guide the wedge in its downward movement if necessary. Theopposite side of the wedge diverges rearward from the guiding side andis adapted to engage the push bars forv retracting them and preferablyhas a lower beveled edge The bottom 56 of the nar rower end of the wedgeis relatively narrow so as to be wedge-like as a result of the beveledge formation. Preferably the piston rod is prevented from rotating inthe cylinder by means of a gibbed spline 57 seated in the head 51 andextending into a longitudinal groove 58 cut into the piston, the groovehowever being slightly wider than the spline so as to permit slightrotary movement of the piston-rod in order to avoid strains if notexactly positioned when moved down into contact with a rail. Thepiston-rod has a relatively small upper portion 59 extending from ashoulder 60 and through the piston 48, a nut 61 being screwed onto theupper end of the red. A coil spring 62 is seated against the nut andalso against the upper side of the piston 48, and another spring 63 isseated against the shoulder 60 and also against the under side of thepiston, so that the piston may move slightly on the smaller portion 59of the rod. The ends of the springs may be so seated on opposite sidesof the piston so as to prevent the rod from rotating appreciably in thepiston, in which case the guiding spline 57 may be omitted, or if usedit is possible to dispensewith the guiding spline 49. The piston-rodsand consequently the wedges are moved upward and normally held in theirelevated posit-ion by means of springs 64 and 64 connected to the truckframe or to the cylinder if preferred and also to the wedge. Air-pipes65 and 65 are connected with the upper port-ions of the cylinders, andother air-pipes 66 and 66 are connected with the lower portions of thecylinders, respectively, so that the pistons may be moved upward ordownward by air pressure, it being desired in some cases to move thewedges upward as rapidly as possible in order to avoid accidents. Twocontrolling valves are provided for admitting the compressed air to thecylinders and they comprise two valve cases 67 and 67 provided withremovable bottoms 68 and 68, respectively, each bottom being adapted toconstitute a valve-seat in which are two inlet ports 69 and 70 and alsoa centrally arranged exhaust port 71. An air-pipe 72 is connected withthe port 69 and a similar pipe 78 is connected with the port 70 of onevalve, and corresponding pipes 72 and 73' are connected withcorresponding ports of the other valve. Flexible pipe connections 74 and74: are connected with the pipes 72 and 7 3, respectively, and also withthe pipes 65 and 65, respectively, and similar flexible pipe connections75 and 75 are connected with the pipes 72 and 73 and also with the pipes66 and 66, respectively. The valve cases 67 and 67 are supplied withcompressed air through supply pipes 76 and 76' connected therewith,respectively. Each valve case has a packing box 77 thereon provided witha packing nut 78. A rotary valve 79 is arranged upon the valve-seat andhas a port 80 which may be brought into register with either one of theports 69 or 7 O, the under side of the valve having an exhaust cavity 81which extends over the exhaust port 71 and may be brought over eitherone of the other ports so as to form communication between it and theexhaust port. The valve has a stem 82 which extends through the packingbox and nut and is adapted to be rotated, the stems of the two valveshaving operating handles 83 and S3 thereon, respectively.

In practical use the switch point 5 remains in the position in which itmay have been used by the last car passing over it and when a carapproaches a switch as illustrated in Fig. 1 it the switch be adjustedfor the main track as shown and it be desired to run the car onto thesiding, after the car carries the wedge past the inclined guide 36 thewedge is lowered by the motorman as the result of the operation of thehandle 83 while the car is moving and the wedge is moved between thepush bar 17 and the rail and forces the push bar away from the rail,thus moving the connecting rod 33 and shitting the switch point a ayfrom the lead rail 4 so as to guide the car onto the siding. it will beunderstood that when the push bar 17 is retracted the push bar 1'? isprojected and therefore the wedge should be elevated before it reachesthe push bar 17 If another car flillowing should continue on the maintrack the wedge should be lowered after it passes the push bar 1'?" soas to en gage the push bar 17 and retract it and thus again close theswitch. In case a car is overloaded the wedges descend only until theyslide upon the guides and brackets attached to the rail which guides thewedge at the proper height to engage the push bars. It will beunderstood that when a switch point is arranged to operate in connectionwith the rail 1 the devices on the opposite side of the car are to beput in operation for changing the switch.

In the operation of the controlling valve it will be understood thatwhen the air is admitted through the port 80 andthe port 69 so as toadmit air to one end of the cylinder the other port 70 is incommunication with the exhaust port 71 to permit the escape of air fromthe opposite end of the cylinder. @ther results of operation of thevalve and other parts of the mechanism will be readily understood fromthe description of the construction and functions thereof.

Havin thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. Fl "itch-operating mechanism including a box having two guides, a baror rod slidingly mounted in the two guides and extending beyond the box,a collar secured to the bar or red and having a pivot there on, anoperating-rod slidingly guided in the box at right-angles to the bar orrod, a j aw fixedly mounted on the operating-rod and having a pivotthereon, and a bell-crank pivotally supported in the box and havingslotted arms, the slot in one arm receiving one of the pivots and theslot in the remaining arm receiving the remaining one of the pivots.

2. Switch-operating mechanism including a movable switch-rod, a fixedlysupported guide rail, a plurality of push-bars slidingly supported tomove toward or from the guide rail, the puslrbars having uncovered andtree projecting ends presented. toward the rail, an operating-rodconnected with the switch-rod and the plurality of push-bars, aplurality of guides supporting and guiding the operatingrodintermediately of the push-bars, a wedge movable between the guide railand the ends of the push-bars, and an inclined guide for elevating thewedge above the plane of the switch rod.

3. Switch-operating mechanism including two inclosing-boxes spacedapart. two brackets secured to the two inclosing-boxes respectively andprojecting beyond one side thereof to form portions of a hrn'izontalguidebar, a horizontal bar supported between and in connection with thetwo brackets to form a portion of the guide bar and having an uprightflange extending from one to the other of the inclosingboxes a movablysupported switch-rod, a horizontal guide bar connected with one of thebrackets and extending toward the switch-rod and also upwardly to aplane above the switch-rod, a rail supporting the two brackets and thehorizontal guide bars, two pushbars movably supported in the twoinclosing boxes respectively, and an operating rod connected with theswitch-rod and the two push-bars.

a. Switch-operating mechanism including a plurality of boxes arranged ina row, tubes fixedly connecting the boxes together, a switch-rod movablymounted in one of the boxes, a plurality of push-bars movably mounted inthe remaining boxes respectively, a connecting rod extending through thetubes and into all the boxes, the con necting rods being incased in andguided by the tubes and a plurality of bell-cranks pivotally mounted inthe boxes respectively and operatively connected with the connectingrod, one of the bell-cranks being operatively connected with theswitch-rod and the remaining bell-cranks operatively connected with thepuslrbars respectively.

5. Switch-operating mechanism includ ing a rail, a movably supportedswitch-rod, two push-bars movably supported opposite one side of andextending to and the rail at a distance therefrom, two bell-crankspivotally supported horizontally adjacent to the push-bars respectively,one arm of one of the bell-cranks being operatively connected to one ofthe push bars, one arm of the remaining bell-crank being operativelyconnected to the remaining one at the pushbars, a connecting-rodoperatively connected with the remaining arms of the two bellcranks andalso with the switch-rod, and a wedge suitably supported by a car on therail and movable into sliding contact with the rail and the adjacentends of the pushbars, said wedge being supported at its narrow endandhaving beveled under edges.

6. Switch-operating mechanism including a rail, a series of boxesarranged adjacent to the rail in a row, a switch-rod movably mounted inone of the boxes for controlling a switch-point, a plurality ofpush-bars movably mounted in the remaining boxes or the series oppositeto the rail and operatively connected with the switch-rod, one of thepush-bars being projected and the other retracted relatively to theboxes, a guide supported horizontally by the rail in a plane below thepush-bars, a cylinder carried by a car on the rail, a piston-rod movablein the cylinder and having a wedge thereon to be moved into positiononto the guide and against the rail tor moving the projected one of thepuslrbars, the wedge having beveled under edges, a piston movable in thecylinder for moving and controlling the piston-rod, and a valve foradmitting compressed air into the cylinder.

7. In switch-operating mechanism, the combination with a rail and amovable switch-point, of a bracket secured to the rail, an inclosing-boxsecured to the bracket, a switch-rod movably mounted in the inclosing-box and extending through the side wall thereof, the switch-rodbeing operatively connected with the switch-point, an operating-rodextending movably into the inclosing-box, and movable means in theinclos ing-box connecting the operating-rod wlth the switch-rod.

8. In switch-operating mechanism, the combination with a rail having aguideway therein, and a switch-point movably supported at one side ofthe rail, of a bracket secured to the opposite side of the rail from theswitch-point, an inclosing-box secured upon the bracket, a switch-rodmovably mounted in the inclosing box and extending through the side wallthereof, the switchrod extending also into the guideway and beingconnected with the switch-point, and an operating-rod extending into theinclosing-box and operatively connected therein with the switch-rod.

9. In switch-operating mechanism, the combination of an inclosing-boxcomprising a bottom and a side wall and also a removable cover, the sidewall being provided with a packing-box, a bearing-box secured on thebottom opposite the packing-box, a push-bar movable in the bearing-boxand the packingbox, a collar secured to the push-bar and having a jawthereon, a pivotal post fixed upon the said bottom, a bell-crankpivotally mounted on said post, one arm of the bell crank beingconnected with said jaw, a rod movably supported in the box andextending through the wall thereof, and a jaw fixedly connected to therod and connected also to the remaining arm of the bell-crank.

10. In switchoperating mechanism, the combination with a rail, aswitch-point movably supported at the inner side of the rail, and aswitch-rod movably supported at the outer side of the rail andoperatively connected with the switch-point, of two pushbars permanentlyand movably mounted opposite the outer side of the rail and extendingtoward the rail, two bell-cranks pivotally supported horizontally adjacently to the two push-bars respectively in reversed arrangementrelatively one to the other, one arm of one of the bell-cranks beingoperatively connected to one of the push-bars, one arm of the remainingbell-crank being operatively connected with the remaining one of thepush-bars, one of said push-bars being projected toward and the otherretracted from the rail, a connecting-rod operatively connected with theremaining arms of the two bell-cranks and also with the switch-rod, anda wedge suitably supported by a car on the rail and movable into slidingcontact with the outer side of the rail to retract the projectedpush-bar and project the retracted push-bar, for moving the switch-rodand the switch-point.

11. In switch-operating mechanism, the combination with a rail, aswitch-point movably supported at the inner side of the rail, and aswitch-rod movably supported at the outer side of the rail andoperatively connected with the switch-point, of two inclosing-boxesfixedly supported opposite the outer side of the rail, two push-barsmovably mounted in the two inclosing-boxes respectively and extendingtoward the outer side of the rail, two bell-cranks pivotally mounted inthe two inclosing-boxes respectively in relatively reversed arrangement,one arm of one of the bell-cranks being operatively connected with oneof the push-bars, one arm of the remaining bell-crank being operativelyconnected with the remaining one of the push-bars, one of said push-barsbeing projected and the other retracted relatively to the inclosing-box,a connecting-rod extending through one and into the other one of theinclosing-boxes and operatively connected with the remaining arms of thetwo bell-cranks and also with the switch-rod, and a guide secured to theouter side of the rail and extending horizontally below the plane of thepush-bars and between the rail and the plane of the adjacent sides ofthe inclosing boxes.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

NELSON B. MITCHELL. JOHN W. TAGGART, SR. Witnesses:

P. A. HAVELICK, E. T. SILVIUS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

